plant-inspired food + lifestyle

Tropical Edamame Noodle Bowl

The first time I tried to upload this post, WordPress kind of ate the draft and I couldn’t recover it…eek! Let’s look on the bright side and say that it’s a bizarre testament to how delicious this recipe is. 😉

A few weeks ago, my mom got me some edamame noodles from Costco to try. Feeling inspired by the incoming warm rays of summer and the abundance of mangoes in the house, I wanted to make a colorful, refreshing cold noodle dish with juicy bursts of sweetness.

As with any dry noodle dish, what brings everything together is the sauce! For these noodles, I made a light and zesty sesame lime tamari sauce.

Tropical Edamame Noodle Bowlserves 2-3

Time: 30 minutes
The recipe’s really simple–here’s what you’ll need (amounts vary, depending on how much you want to eat):

mango, cut into thin strips (I like to use a mango that’s not too ripe so it still has some tartness)

avocado slices (I used 1/4 of an avocado for each serving of noodles)

a carrot or two, julienned

fresh basil

radishes, sliced thinly

sesame lime tamari sauce (recipe below; makes about 1/4 cup sauce)

1 T low sodium tamari (or liquid aminos)

3 T water

1/2 t sesame oil

2 t chopped cilantro

1 scallion stalk, chopped (about 1.5 t)

1 t pure maple syrup

2 t lime juice

Method:

Cook the edamame noodles according to the directions on the package. Once cooked, set them aside and let them chill in the fridge.

Whisk together the sauce ingredients. Set aside in the fridge.

Cut the mango into thin noodle-like pieces, julienne the carrots, and rinse the basil. Lastly, cut the avocado into slices.

Assemble the noodles and other ingredients in bowls–add as little or as much as you like of each ingredient.

Pour the sesame lime tamari sauce over the noodles, starting with a couple teaspoons at a time. Add more sauce to your taste.

Enjoy!

I hope you enjoy this recipe and that your summer is off to a great start!

To be honest with you guys, I was actually considering not posting this recipe because I wasn’t totally happy with the photos. But I recently read this somewhere: “done is better than perfect.” I needed to see that. I need to remind myself that the only way to improve myself is to keep on going, and not get too bogged down on my desire to make everything I put out an absolute masterpiece.

I feel like a lot of the time, I hold myself back more than anything because of my own self-doubt and perfectionist mindset, and then I put off doing things I enjoy, creating things, even though I know I have potential. 😭I’ve turned down opportunities and even stopped myself from new personal projects because of this self-doubt. It’s a terrible habit that sometimes turns into a downward spiral for a few days at a time! Anyone else struggle with this sometimes?

It can be a daily struggle, but I am trying to focus on practicing my skills and recognizing the strength of my passions, instead of becoming immobilized by my fear what could go wrong. This applies to photography, blogging, and my academic endeavors. By the way, I finally applied to graduate school for landscape architecture–much thanks to the encouragement of professors whom I admire!

I’m so grateful to have connected with so many like-minded, sweet friends and fellow vegan creatives (particularly on Instagram and at Vida Vegan Con last month!) who inspire me, in addition to encouraging & believing in me. You know who you are–thank you for everything. Let’s keep lifting each other up!! 🙂

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5 thoughts on “Tropical Edamame Noodle Bowl”

I can very much relate with your post today! As bloggers, we are so quick to hold ourselves to such high standards, even though this is meant to be a growing and learning process. Maybe it’s because there are so many type-A perfectionists in the blogging word 🙂 I often look back on some of my not-so-great photos and pull out the “I should have…”, but then I remind myself that seeing the growth is half the fun! Your photos are ALWAYS stunning and have actually been ones that I look to for inspiration in my own food photography. Keep up the amazing work and congratulations on applying to grad school!!!

Liz!! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts! And you’re so right, seeing the growth is really half the fun!

And WOW, I am so humbled that you look to my photos for inspiration. Thank you my dear! I enjoy your photos too; they are so bright and lovely. I don’t think I’ve gotten to tell you yet but I think some of my favorite photos from you so far have been the photos for your spring sheperd’s pie!! I remember admiring it and forgetting to comment (I need to improve on this, haha). ❤ Such gorgeousness. I always find it challenging to make things like savory pies and casseroles pretty!